Automatic barrel-treating machine.



P. ROMBERG.

AUTOMATIC BARREL TREATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED Amm, 1910.

agili@ l L I Patented Dec.22,1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

P. ROMBERG.,

AUTOMATIC BARREL TREATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUGA. 1910.

Patented Dec. 22, 1,914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

md z :l/Wenas:

m. (i5/@M P. ROMBERG.

AUTUMATIG BARREL TRBATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 4, 1910.

1,121,871 9 Patented De0.22,1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

HE NORRIS PETERS Cul, FHOTD-LITHOv, WASHINGTON, D. r

P. RUMBBRG.

AUTOMATIC BARREL TRBATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 4, 1910.

1 1,121,871 Patented M122, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

PAUL ROMBERG, OF LEIPZIG, GERMANY,

AUTOMATIC BARREL-TREATING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 22, 1914.

Application filed August 4, 1910. Serial No. 575,555.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, PAUL ROMBERG, a subject of the King of Saxony, residing at Leipzig, in Germany, have invented a certain new and useful Automatic Barrel- Treating Machine, of `which the following is a speciiication.

All machines for automatically cleaning or pitching barrels known hitherto are injurious to the barrels or subject to deterioration by reason of the barrels to be treated by them being permitted to roll toward or onto the bung-hole-inding apparatus or to some station preliminary thereto.

vWith the pitching or inside-cleaning machines, there is generally placed before the bung-hole finder an inclined track on whichy an inclined track is also generally provided before the outside cleaning machine or before the irst roller station and the bunghole finder is arranged between the outsidecleaning machine and the inside-cleaning machine. ln each case it is necessary that the barrels roll upon an inclined track onto the bung-hole finder or onto a preliminary station. As a direct rolling of the barrelsl from a track on a level with the bung-hole finder necessitates a considerable elevation of said track and renders the transport ditlicult, the machines have been improved inasmuch as the barrels are raised by a special apparatus onto an inclined plane, whereon they roll onto the bung-hole iinder or onto the preliminary station. Raising or rolling apparatus of such kind complicate the construction of the machine as they involve the necessity of another conveying means, besides the aforementioned raising or rolling apparatus, which brings the barrels from the bung-hole finder to the apparatus for inside treatment. `This method of conveyance necessitates complicated construction and is in man)T regards unsuitable and has the following drawbacks: l. The barrel left free to roll upon the inclined track often takes an unsuitable position involving necessity of hand labor to assist its adjustment. 2. When changing the barrels violent percussions occur which injuriously affect the barrels, as well as the machine itself. 3. Since the barrel rolling onto the bung hole Ender presses on one side of the bung-y hole locating mandrel 45 the entire weight of the barrel is not applied to Adepress the mandrel 45, and there is danger that small and light barrels may not be able to move the mandrel 45 downward against the pressure of its counterspring or weight so that such barrels are of course not properly centered upon and dealt with by the bung-hole finder. lVhen, however, as in the present invention, the barrels are positively transported onto the bung-hole finder or onto a preliminary station in such a manner that for instance with a combined inside and outside-cleaning machine a conveyer common to both takes the barrels and carries them one after the other onto and from the outside-cleaning machine, and onto the bunghole finder and from the latter to the nozzle stations and finally to the distributing track; the machine is considerably simplified, complicated raising and rolling devices being completely dispensed with. Moreover, the expense of the machine as well as the cost of maintenance are reduced. Furthermore, the process of carrying the barrels rst to the brushingY machine and thence to the bung-hole finder insures the correct position of the barrels during the introduction in the bung-hole finding apparatus, thereby obviating the shock and damage to the latter by the 'usual rolling delivery of the barrels from the incline to the bung-hole finding apparatus. Also, the barrel arriving by a dropping movement presses with its full weight on the mandrel, and small and light barrels cause it to move downward, so that the automatic action of the apparatus is not endangered.

By eliminating or leaving out of the present construction the means for outside cleaning, the apparatus of this invention is capable of use either as an inside cleaning machine or as a pitching machine, the various nozzle stations, in the latter case, being used to inject the proper uids in such relation as to carry out a complete pitching process.

In the annexed drawings Figure 1 is a longitudinal, view in elevation, and Fig. 2 a plan of the improved machine. Fig. 3 is a transverse elevational view of the brushing station. Figs. 4l and 5 are sectional detail views of the driving gear of the brush station rollers. Figs. 6 and 7 are sectional views of the driving gear of the conveyer. Figs. S and 9 are transverse elevations of the barrel centering and bung-hole finding station, Fig. 8 showing a barrel thereon and F ig. 9 with barrel omitted.

The employment of a common conveyer involved of course a thorough change in the construction of the working stations, which is explained successively as follows: The main shaft 5 drives a shaft 6 by means of a worm 1 and a worm wheel 2, the shaft G being connected to the crank shaft of the conveyer 8 by means of elliptical gear wheels 3 and l and thus driving the conveyer 8. lThe elliptical gear wheels are employed for the purpose of moving the carrier alternately at increasing and decreasing speeds whereby after the barrels are deposited in a position to be cleaned they are left in that position for a sufficient time to insure a sufficient cleansing. In order to employ one common conveyer for all working stations, it is necessary to arrange the propelling device driving the rollers 16 of the barrelbrushing machine B in such a manner that the shafts of the rollers 16 do not cross the path of the conveyer. Said rollers 1b' are actuated by the main shaft 5 driving also the conveyer and the cleaning nozzles 17, 18, 19 within the path of the conveyer (Figs. 1 and 2). The roller 2O of the roll station A is driven in similar manner. The main shaft 5 actuating the cleaning nozzles 17, 18, 19 and being in consequence laterally located, z'. e. not in the longitudinal axis of the entire apparatus, drives by means of gear wheels 21 the shaft 22 which by means of wheels 23 drives the roller shafts 24: and rollers 16. rllhe intermediate shaft may be dispensed with if the main shaft 5 is located in the longitudinal axis. lThe driving gear is inclosed by a casing to protect it against dirt and water.

For increasing the adhesion and for preventing disagreeable noise, the rollers 16 are provided with india-rubber rings. In all known barrel-cleaning machines, the change of these rings when used is troublesome and wearisome since for removing the rings it is necessary to take out first the roller shafts located generally outside the rollers 16, from their bearings, and to remove all driving gear arranged laterally. The present invention provides for an easy and quick change of the rings, owing to the fact that the driving device of the roller shafts 24 lies between the two rollers, z'. e. the rollers are arranged at both ends of the shaft 2d (Fig. 5). The rolling of the barrels toward the when in its lowest position.

conveyer is regulated by arms 10 moving on the vaxis 11 (see Figs. 1 and 2) in such a manner that the oscillating movement of the arms 10 raises the adjacent barrel from the track 12 and carries it to the track 12l in accordance with the movement of the conveyer 8. The arms 10 are actuated by the draw-rod 13 from the crank shaft 7, one end of the rod 13 being coupled to the lever l-l upon the shaft 11, and the other end to the crank disk 15 of the crank shaft 7. rlhe dirty barrel is preferably not brought directly to the brushing machine B, but is first placed on a roller station A where it is sprayed with water. 0n the roller station A the barrel is supported by the driven pair of rollers 20 and by the idle rollers 20.

To prevent raising the barrels ready for cleansing on a high inclined track the conveyer 8 is made so as to catch the barrels For this purpose `the members of the conveyer 8 have prolongations beyond their' points of connection with the front cranks 9, arranged so that when the conveyer is in its lowest positon these prolongations already engage under the last barrel fed up to the conveyer, and vduring the rising of the conveyer this barrel gradually rolls down the inclined upper surfaces of the said prolongations, until it strikes abutments 81. During the following ascent of the convey r, the barrel is lirst brought onto the roller station A for soaking purposes, and is then deposited, during the next ascent and descent of the conveyer, on the brushing or outside cleaning ma chine. As the conveyer raises the barrels very high, the brushing machine would become exceedingly high if the brushes were to rise vertically or approximately vertically. To prevent this the construction of the outside cleaning machine has been changed as hereinafter described. All brushes are laterally movable and carried by spaced pillars 25 to enable the barrels to pass between the brushes when in inoperative position. rlhe free passage of the barrels during the transferring operation is permitted by the lateral displacement of all the brushes.

rlhe four levers 2G, 27 carrying the cleaning brushes are pivoted on the two spaced pillars 25 and rock about the axes 28, 29. Each belly brush is movably connected with a bottom brush by a draw-rod 30. The guide slot provided in the rod 80 admits within certain limits an independence in the movement of the brushes permitting each of the brushes to lie and press uniformly against the barrel, even if the brushes are unequally worn or the barrels abnormally shaped. On the other hand, the rods 30 and their guide slots are so arranged as to prevent the belly brushes from contacting with the barrel before the bottom brushes. This is important as otherwise the barrel touched first by the belly brushes tends to bound out from the rollers. On the axes 29 of the upper brushes there are provided arms 31 having at their ends their drawrods 32.

The rod 32, and thereby the brush-levers 26, 27, must be actuated by a suitable lever, rod or the like either from the beams 8 of the conveyer or from a shaft outside the path of the conveyer. The brush-levers are actuated preferably from the crank shaft 7 of the conveyer, which transmits the motion received by the main shaft 5. Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate a propelling device of that kind. The rods 32 are connected at the lower end with the double armed levers 33 pivoted on the axes 34 and periodically moved by the cams 35 arranged on the crank shaft 7 when the barrels are changed. The lowering of the levers 33 by the cams 35 causes the rods 32 together with all brushes to rise to the positions indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3. `When another barrel is deposited the cams 35 permit the levers 33 to move back causing thus a quiet return of the cleaning brushes. The brushes are thus operated by the crank shaft 7 from the barrel conveyer, an intermediate shaft as used in the similar machines known hitherto being dispensed with. WV hen the brushes are brought into contact with small barrels, it would happen, unless provision is otherwise made, that the leverage exerted by the apparatus on the brushes would be greatly increased over that exerted when the brushes are acting on larger barrels, and the brushes would therefore bear with undue pressure on small barrels. In order to regulate the action so that a uniform pressure is exerted on all barrels, regardless of size, the weights 36 and 37 are disposed on arms mounted on the axes 28, 29 of the brush levers 26, 27 in such manner that as the brushes are elevated the eect of the weiO'ht increases, thereby lessening the comparative effective pressure of the brushes on barrels of smaller size.

The cleaned barrel taken off from the outside-cleaning machine B is brought on the bung-hole finder C, on which it is symmetrically placed by lateral adjusting devices. All barrel adjusting means heretofore known in connection with bung-hole finders require special mechanism for adjusting them in the position ready for use, z'. e. for opening them before another barrel arrives.

The improvement in the bung-hole finder station consists in the provision of barrel adjusting means which require no special mechanism for preparing or setting them, the adjusting means being opened or set by the barrel to be treated. The angle-arms 40 rocking about the pivots 39 are connected by toothed segments 41 or the like. The upper parts of the arms 40 are inclined and carry rotatable rollers 42. The arms 40 are caused rollers onbig and heavy barrels and to diminish it on small and light barrels.

The distance between the top of the rollers 42 is, in closed position of the apparatus, greater than the length of the biggest barrels to be treated. A barrel deposited by the conveyer on the rollers 38 of the bung hole finder is `met on the projecting part by the corresponding roller 42 until also the opposite side roller lies against the barrel. As soon as the two rollersv 42 touch the barrel, the latter lies symmetrically relatively to the bung-hole finding mandrel arranged at the middle of the bung-hole finder. As the barrel rotates the mandrel enters the bung-hole and arrests the rotation and holds the barrel ready in a suitable position for inside treatment. For increasingl the stability of the conveyer-beams 8l and for insuring the conveyance of big barrels, the conveyer may comprise more than two, for example 4 beams, two by two lying at the same side being connected together. Cranks 91, which are connected with weightedcounter-cranks 92, are arranged on the outer sides of the beams 8, for the purpose of balancing the weight of the conveyer and the barrels.

Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate clearly the simplification in the construction of the entire machine by carrying out the explained method of working. All working stations A B C Dl D2 D3 are arranged on a common bed or frame 46 which is advantageously arranged between the two pedestals 47 of the conveyer. The pedestals 47 containing the actuating mechanism form carrying pillars for the bed or frame 46. The entire machine is driven by the transverse shaft 48 provided with thel propelling belt pulley 49.

It is again pointed out that in the present machine the brushing apparatus may also be dispensed with and the barrel may be brought immediately upon the bung-hole finder C; the machine may be employed for automatic inside cleansing or automatic pitch-sprayingrThe number of the cleaning or pitching stations (D1 D2 D3) may also be increased or reduced.

In the combined barrel inside and outside cleansing machine it is highly important and most advantageous that the common conveyer also lifts the barrels into the outside cleaning machine, but the conveyer may begin its operation with the outside cleaning machine and feed the following working stations with the barrels brought upon the outside cleaning machine in any manner. Even this limited operation of the conveyer has special advantages, inasmuch as the barrels in the brushing machine are brought by their rotating movement and by the brushes into a nearly symmetricall posi- .tionl and are transferred to the bung hole .finder station in this position, insuring quick and accurate action of the bung hole finder. AVith the method heretofore usual of rolling the barrels to the bung hole finder this edect is not obtained, because the rolling disturbs the symmetrical position of the barrel.

l hat claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent ot the United States is l. In a machine for cleansing barrels, the combination of an external cleansing apparatus, a bung-hole finder, said cleansing apparatus, and bung-hole linder collectively comprising a plurality of barrel stations, and a conveyer 'for transferring barrels positively from the cleansing apparatus to the bung-hole iinder.

2. In a machine for injecting fluid into barrels, 1 the combination of a bung-hole finder, injecting apparatus, and a conveyer adapted to deposit a barrel consecutively on said bung-hole finder and said injecting apparatus.

3. In a machine for cleansing barrels, the combination oit an external cleanser, a bunghole iinder, an internal cleanser' and a conveyer for transferring a barrel successively from said external cleanser to said bunghole finder and said internal cleanser.

et. In a machine for cleansingbarrels, the combination of an external cleanser, a bunghole inder, an internal cleanser, and a conveyer adapted to deposit a barrel consecutively on said external cleanser, bung-hole finder and internal cleanser.

5. In amachine for cleansing barrels, the combination of a barrel-supporting station7 an external cleanser, a bung-hole iinder, an internal cleanser, and aconveyer for transferring barrels successively from the supporting station to the external cleanser, bung-hole finder and internal cleanser.

6. In a machine for cleansing barrels, the combination of an external cleanser, a bunghole finder, an internal cleanser, said three appliances being alined with each other, a conveyer for conveying barrels successively to said external cleanser, bung-hole linder and internal cleanser, and a driving means extending longitudinally of said alined appliances and operating said external cleanser and the bung-hole finder.

'i'. lin a machine i''or cleansing barrels, the combination of an external cleansing apparatus, an internal cleansing apparatus, a coniv'eyer having two carrying members adapted to convey barrels to said apparatuses in succession and a shaft extending between said carrying members and through both said cleansing apparatuses, operating both the latter and said conveyer.

8. In a machine for cleansing barrels, the

-combination of a barrel supporting station,

lto deposit barrels at said stations in sucession, and crank shafts having cranks engaged with said carrying members for oscillatory movement of same, said carrying members extending beyond the cranks at the vreceiving end of said conveyer, whereby said carrying members are adapted to take up barrels in the lowered position of the conveyer.

l0. In a machine for cleansing or pitching barrels the combination of a series of stations arranged in a stra-ight line, a conveyer having tivo carrying members adapted to deposit a barrel on said stations in succession, and crank-shafts having cranks engaged with said carrying members for oscillatory movement of same, said carrying members extending beyond the cranks at the receiving end of the conveyer, whereby thej are enabled to take up a barrel in the lowered position of the conveyer, the extending ends of said carrying members being downwardly and rearwardly inclined and having at their rear ends abutments for the barrel.

li. in a machine for cleansing or pitching barrels the combination of a series of stations arranged in a straight line, a conveyer comprising two carrying members adapted to deposit a barrel on said stations in succession, crank-shafts having cranks engaged with said carrying members for oscillatory movement of same, the carrying members extending beyond the cranks at the receiving end of the conveyer, whereby they are enabled to take up a barrel in the lowered position oit the conveyer, an inclined barrel track, a barrel transferring means adapted to transfer a barrel from the lower end of said. track to a position from which the barrel can be taken up by said extending ends of said carrying members, and a direct driving connection between said conveyer and said barrel transferring means.

l2. in a machine for cleansing barrels, the combination of rollers for supporting the barrel and revolving the same, a conveyer comprising a pair of members movable in vertical planes exterior to the supporting rollers, and means for revolving ed to intersect the path of the conveyer and said rollers located wholly in the space bebarrel, together with mea-ns for collective tween said pair of members. operation of said conveyer and brushes.

13. ln a machine for cleansing barrels, In Witness whereof I have signed this 5 the combination of rollers for supporting specification in the presence of two Wit- 15 the barrel and revolving the same, a connesses.

veyer comprising a pair of members mov- PAUL ROMBERG. able in planes exterior to the supporting Witnesses: rollers, and brushes movable to and from RICHARD CLAUS,

T10 the barrel in directions of movement adapt- RUDOLPH FRICKE` Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of I Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

